Dundee councillor deepfake video — Sep 2026

In September 2026, a Dundee councillor was targeted by a sophisticated AI-generated deepfake video circulating on Facebook. The footage falsely depicted the official welcoming individuals described using inflammatory language, causing significant personal distress and public misinformation.

What happened

The deepfake was posted to social media and gained initial traction, accumulating approximately 5,000 views and dozens of comments shortly after it appeared. The councillor reported the content to Meta, but the company initially declined to remove it, stating the video did not breach their community guidelines. This initial refusal left the damaging content live for nearly a year.

The incident highlights the severe real-world consequences of AI manipulation, as the video was used to encourage attendance at anti-immigrant protests, with some viewers believing the fabricated footage to be authentic. Following continued scrutiny, the matter was eventually referred to Meta’s oversight board, which determined the video violated policy and mandated its removal within seven days. Critics have pointed to this case as an example of the failure of platform moderation systems to address deliberate libel and the difficulty of holding major social media companies accountable for the spread of synthetic misinformation.